


Still Together

by Skyriazeth



Series: Swapfell [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Swapfell, Angst, BBQKetchup, Collars, Confusion, Denial, Dom/sub, Fluff, M/M, Reincarnation, Reverse Honeymustard, Swapfell Alphys, Swapfell Papyrus - Freeform, Swapfell Undyne, Temporary Character Death, Undertale bros reincarnates into Swapfell bros, semi-healthy relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-07-26 01:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7555462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyriazeth/pseuds/Skyriazeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans remembers himself dying by the side of Papyrus, yet here he is, alive and well.</p><p>And it seems Papyrus is too but...</p><p>Things are much, much more different than he thought.</p><p>More so even when he's practically someone else.</p><p>(Discontinued)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> ALRIGHT TIME TO START A SERIES.
> 
> Because there aren't any real fics for reverse honey mustard so I'd though I would start one up and never finish it--
> 
> I'll try ;v;

 

 

“I’m sorry.”

It was the only thing Sans could mutter as he laid close to Papyrus, their hands enter intertwined, tears streaming furiously from their eye sockets. He could see Papyrus’ mouth in a form of a small smile, face still so full of hope despite of their current situation.

He didn’t expect this to happen. Didn’t expect his inability to protect his precious baby brother from the impending dangers that had awaited them when they reached the surface.

Didn’t expect the humans to be so _merciless_ to all of his friends, and to their own kind, even.

He didn’t want to think of all the terrible things that had been done to them and what had he done?

He ran away with his brother. Protect

Just like the coward he is.

He knew he should have done something, knew he should went down with a fight but…

The expression Frisk wore as they pleaded Sans and his friends not to hurt anybody, that the humans were just confused, that they were just scared.

Yet, they were killed by **them.**

He vaguely recalled the glints of a blade and a trace of a lone fluttering red scarf in the wind, and now that he’s on his deathbed, having time for himself to think, this wasn’t all too bad.

Sans was with Papyrus, and it was all that honestly mattered to him.

So, he held the hand that was in his tighter.

He was going to die together with his brother. No more being alone. No more need for revenge.

They were finally going to be together.

The smaller skeleton closed his eyes, hearing faint whispers from Papyrus being swept away in the cold night wind, snow crunching while footsteps grew nearer as he felt himself fade away into dust, apparent consciousness drifting into a soothing slumber.

 

* * *

 

 

He jolted awake, breathing heavy as if waking up from a nightmare. Was that all just… a dream? Did the human reset?

No, they couldn’t have. They were dead.

So how was he alive…?

As he calmed his erratic breaths, eye lights flickering before eventually steadying, he started to notice that it wasn’t his room.

He was rested in a large bed with blue velvet lining, a desk by its side with things on it neatly ordered. An ominous closet stood at the far side of the room, shelves decorating the walls with rows and rows of books. There was one lone shelf with a collection and assortment of…odd looking toys? He couldn’t exactly make out what they were.

Wherever he was, he was definitely not in Papyrus’ nor his own room.

He shifted and tried getting out of bed to find out where had he ended up, but the splitting headache and the ringing in his head he was met with told him that he should rest. He groaned at the pain and forced himself back down onto the bed.

Despite the curiosity in him burning, he knew he’s in no condition to get up unless he wants to be met with more agonizing pain.

He shifted himself to stare at the window with curtains down, the faint and dim light peeking from it told him that it was still late out.

He sighed heavily, pulling the covers over him, and made himself as comfortable as possible. He didn’t want to think too much about the whole thing—he’ll deal with it in the morning.

For now, he’ll just take a nap.

 

 

 


	2. Unexpected awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, I apologize!

**Knock knock.**

_‘Who’s there?” Sans replied with the largest grin on his face ._

**“M’lord?”**

_“M’lord who?” He relaxed into Papyrus’ hold, feeling the warmth of the other skeleton. He had never thought that Papyrus would make a ‘knock knock’ joke himself, but here he was, doing exactly that. He felt at peace for once, as if nothing bad could happen._

**“Are you alright in there, M’lord?”**

Sans opened his eye sockets, the illusion of his dream vanishing before his eyes as he was bought back to the room he had fell asleep in. He huffed in disappointment as he blinked and yawned, easing up his stiff bones with some stretching before another knock was followed.

“May I come in?” A meek voice spoke from the other side of the door, and from Sans’ knowledge, it vaguely resembled his brother’s.

He sat upright and removed the covers, shuffling to the end of the large bed before getting off. He wasn’t feeling the pain of the previous night now, only left with the lingering pain of his loss for Papyrus.

“Yeah, come in.”  He groaned, still feeling exhausted despite the fact that he probably was well rested enough. Lazily, he walked to the door, feet dragging as the doorknob turned and—

He saw Papyrus.

“M’lord? Is everything alright?” His brother asked, but he can’t be bothered by that right now.

Papyrus was alive! He could barely contain himself as he threw himself against him, wrapping him into a warm embrace, holding him tight.

“Oh god Papyrus you’re alive, I can’t believe you’re alive.” He squeezes him tighter, tears starting to prick the edges of his eye sockets. He felt the other tense in his hug instead of returning it, and that’s when he knew something was wrong.

“W-what did I do to deserve this M’lord?”  He stammered, _and Papyrus **never** stammers. Not to mention the way he **talked** to him. Was this even Papyrus? Maybe he had mistaken him because of his overwhelming emotions upon seeing someone so much like him._

He pulled away, wiping the tears on his face and felt his phalanges brushed across a scar. He didn’t… have a scar.

Now having calmed down, he got a closer look of the taller skeleton and realized he looked a lot more different—he wore a black fur lined hoodie on top of an orange sweater, a golden tooth embedded into his sharp teeth. The necklace he wore had a weird looking ornament hanging from it, looking a bit overly complicated at first glance. Yet somehow, he did not look intimidating at all, posture slacked and head bowed.

Despite that, he had a striking resemblance to his brother and couldn’t shake it off. Then it hit him.

_Maybe Papyrus was playing a joke on him! That’s the only logical explanation he could come up with at the moment._

So Sans put on his usual, lazy grin and gave Papyrus a playful soft hit on the shoulder, which the other winced when he did.  
  
“Alright bro, ya got me there, you’re officially the best japer in the whole underground.” He let out a fake chuckle, eye lights locked on him to see his reaction.  
  
Papyrus gave him a confused look as he lifted his head before his eye sockets widened in fear.

 **“** D-did I do something wrong again, M’lord?” His whole frame was shaking, gaze averted from Sans’.

_Who was this ‘M’lord’ he was talking about? Surely it can’t be addressing him, right? What was making him so **scared** of him? Maybe it was the newly acquired scar._

“Hey, bro, it’s alright, there’s nothing to be scared of.” Sans took a step forward, wanting to comfort his baby brother but Papyrus stumbled backwards.

“N-no, I-I’m sorry M’lord, whatever it is, I won’t do it again. J-Just please.” Sans could hear him breathing heavily now, and at this point he was far past confused and more worried about how extreme he was reacting to him. He knew that if he tried pressing on, it would do him no good—Papyrus was in a frightened state, and Sans was clearly the source of it.

Carefully, he stepped away, and went back to the desk. He had to know what he looked like, because it was more than obvious that he did not look like himself if that’s how Papyrus—no, just any normal monster reacted to him.

He rummaged the drawers of the desk and found a mirror, but the reflection he saw was not what he had expected at all.

He almost dropped the mirror when he saw himself. A deep scar ran along his right eye, and he had two visible pointed, sharp teeth. His eye lights were a bright blue, unlike his normal simple white ones.

No wonder Papyrus was calling him ‘M’lord’ and acted so weird to him.

He wasn’t him.

 He **looked** a lot like him, but it isn’t him. It can’t be.

And when that realization came around, he started to panic.

Sans tried to stay calm, but his mind invaded him with questions after questions, and soon enough his emotions came crashing down with him, his mind thrown into disarray. Whatever this monster did to Papyrus, it was bad. It made him sick that someone would treat a monster to this extent, not to mention that the monster that did this might even be he himself.

_It can’t be. No, it just can’t._

Sweat started forming on his skull, his vision blurring. He thought he could deal with this right now, but he can’t. He can’t face Papyrus like this, when **he** is like this—trembling and scared of Sans.

“M-M-M’lord..?” Papyrus voice broke him from his thoughts, but with that word spoken, he instantly teleported with no destination in mind, just somewhere **away** from this place.

He landed on snow, tall trees surrounding him. He let out a breath of relief—he needed time to think. To process the things that was happening to him now. He just needed some time to himself.

 Sans could see the hints of dust that was mixed into the snow as he stood up, brushing off the sleet that clung onto his nightwear. It was cold, sure, he didn’t exactly have proper clothing, but he wasn’t left with much of a choice in that situation.

He considered going back, but he wasn’t sure if he was prepared for it, in all honesty. This was the first time he had even so much as touched him since their death, and Papyrus seemed so shaken up and different.

Both of them were.

Now that he thought of it, everything was different. Dust was pretty much everywhere, from the once pure white snow, to the ever blowing wind of Snowdin. The forest was eerily silent, and Sans wasn’t even sure that this was _his_ Snowdin anymore.

“M’lord! M’lord where are you?” He could hear the distant yelling of Papyrus as the wind blew, carrying the unspoken conversation that they both desperately needed.

No, oh stars he was already finding him? He can’t deal with this, not now.

So this time, with a destination in mind, he teleported to Grillbys.

Surely his good friend can help him out, right?

 


	3. Grillby's not...Grillby's?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was semi- rushed? I had the draft, but near the end I wanted to finish it up quickly and done by today--
> 
> I hope it doesn't affect any of the story flow.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

 

 

This was not what Sans had expected. No, this was far from what he had expected. He was sure this wasn’t Grillby’s, simply by looking at the spider lady that tended the counter, cleaning up half empty glasses on it.

 

Bar Patrons were either drunk off their asses or asleep, so he didn’t draw too much attention from the few monsters that were awake, with it being still early out. Though he had to admit, this place was discontenting –spider webs draped every corner and it was very dimly lit, seeing that the fire elemental of a bartender that used to own the establishment was no longer present. There was an odd scent of disgustingly sweet pastry that hung in the air, and it made his non-existent skin crawl.  He could even see scattered dust on the floorboards, which did not do his panicked state any better.

 

Sans attempted to relax himself, but his breathing had begun to pick up again as the spider lady stopped her work to see who had set foot into her bar. The spider lady gave him a peculiar look when she spotted him, though that expression didn’t last long as it turned into an amused one. Shivers were sent down his spine as he stood there paralyzed, unable to move. He wanted to run, but his body refused to, locked up by the sheer amount of shock he was experiencing all at once.

 

“Fuhuhu, up so early now, Captain? Never thought I’d see you in your nightwear.” A devious smirk crossed her face as she approached him, a soft chuckle leaving her mouth.

 

No matter how much he tried, no words could seem to form a reply for the monster that stood before him. _He wasn’t even sure what she was going on about!_ His jaw parted briefly and closed, unsure on what he should do in a situation like this.

 

“You seem a little… tense there Captain… Do you want some help to _loosen_ up?” the spider lady leaned in closer at Sans frozen figure, the smug look never having left her face. Spiders started to surround the two, some of them appearing to crawl on her while she spoke. He could only stare at her with apprehension, the lady waiting for a reply. When none came, strings of web started to wrap around him and his soul turned into a bright violet.

 

“Well, I’ll take that as a yes then dearie.” Another giggle escaped her mouth as more spiders encircled them. Sans tried to jerk away, but what appeared to be her magic was holding him in place. He began to struggle desperately, just wanting to get out of this nightmare of a reality, though his captor let out delighted laughter at his squirming. If it wasn’t for the fact that his mind was a frantic mess, he would have been either long gone or at the very least defended himself by now.

 

Before she could even lay a hand on Sans however, a sharp bone shot through in between them, preventing her from advancing on the small skeleton any longer.

 

“You’re not allowed to touch my Lord, Muffet.”He could see Papyrus at the doorway, two gaster blasters zooming into sight. Sans couldn’t suppress a relieved smile when he saw him, knowing that his brother was here to save him. He didn’t care at this moment if it was a twisted version of him, it was undeniably still Papyrus after all.

 

He could see the edges of Muffet’s lips curl into a scowl, all her eyes were now redirected at her attacker.

 

“I see you’re already here for him, Papyrus dear.” Her hold on Sans’ soul only tightened, both monsters observing each other with wary and calculated glares.

 

“Don’t you dare hurt him.” Papyrus’ eyes were ablazed with rage, his tall menacing appearance was nothing like what he had seen when they were alone.

 

“But who would want to miss such a great opportunity to get a hefty amount of exp? It’s a rarity that I can witness the oh so mighty ‘Captain of the Royal Guard’ being reduced to this. No hard feelings. ” The cocky and confident attitude she had was back, and this was finally when he realized that Muffet calling him ‘Captain’ was actually referring to _**him**._ It sounded unbelievable, because there was no possible way a lazy skeleton like him would even make it into the Royal Guard, less so as _**Captain**. _ How much has actually changed while he was gone?

 

_He couldn’t shake off the unsettled and worried feeling he had, fearing for the worst._

 

Papyrus didn’t give any of them a warning before an array of bones were thrown precisely at her, pinning her to the counter. The magic that was on Sans’ soul immediately dissipate, allowing him to move again. It wasn’t much of a fight really, Muffet already disabled by his one attack—Papyrus was definitely much stronger than he seemed, despite his reserved behavior around him. The spiders instantly scattered, leaving their wounded queen alone.

 

The second Sans was free, he wanted to just run over to Papyrus and pull him into a hug, but he stopped his tracks when his brother slowly paced to her, emitting a very dangerous aura.

 

“I don’t care if I owe you money. I won’t hesitate to kill you next time.” He let the blasters behind him dematerialize, though leaving the bones that pierced through Muffet.  His entire demeanor changed as he rushed to Sans’ side, looking very concerned over his well-being.

 

“A-are you alright M’lord?”  He asked, voice once again back to a soft gentleness—yet at the same time, still filled with fear. He could hear the genuine concern in his tone, which made the tension that hung in the air the whole time ease up a bit.

 

“Yeah bro, I’m fine.”

 

Before the both of them could reply however, someone stepped into the bar and he was pulled through total darkness, before his vision cleared and saw that he and Papyrus had ended up at a desolate place in waterfall.

 

“You can teleport?!” Sans exclaimed, this being the first question that came to his mind when they arrived. Papyrus flinched slightly at the volume, of which Sans didn’t consider despite the fact of his prior experiences.

 

“Y-Yes? I-I’m sorry…” He sounded unsure, and for some reason, he apologized as he lowered his head. He was about to ask why did he ask for forgiveness when he did nothing wrong—which seemed to be a reoccurring theme with him—but he was captivated by his surroundings.

 

He had been to waterfall many times before, mostly to either slack off or sell some hot dogs. This was no ordinary place in waterfall though. This was the safe heaven where he and his brother used to come all the time to play when they were younger, laughing and having so much fun together. He missed the times where he could hold Papyrus when he was only a small baby bones.

 

Sans was abruptly snapped out of his own thoughts from a slight touch on the shoulder, Papyrus violently jerking away as he turned around to look at him.

 

“M-M’Lord?” His brother honestly still looked scared, breathing being a bit shaky, but at least he wasn’t trembling anymore.

 

He took in a deep breath. _Alright, he can do this._

 

The temporary questions that plagued his mind was gone, instead replaced by the need to comfort his brother.

 

“Ya want to tell me what’s wrong, bro?” Sans asked the younger sibling in an even and calm voice, hoping he won’t incite any intense reactions from him.

 

Papyrus’ breathes increased, tears swelling at the edges of his eye sockets before he fell onto his knees, no longer holding back the chocked sobs. The other was startled at the other’s sudden break down, hearing quiet mumbling of “I’m sorry” being spoken as he cried. As if by brotherly instinct, he wrapped the crying skeleton in his hands, petting Papyrus’ skull in a soothing pace.

  
  
He could deal with this. He had dealt with this so many times in the past, so what’s one more time?

 

“Shh, it’s alright Paps…” He cooed, and his brother wept harder. He wasn’t sure what he was doing wrong, this always worked—

 

“I-I don’t deserve you, M’lord…“ Papyrus managed to croaked out between his sobs , hands clenching tightly almost to the point where it looked like it might bleed. He pulled away and sat in front of him, lifting the other’s head so that he saw him.

 

“Yes you do Papyrus. You of all people should be the one who deserves me the most.” He gave him a reassuring smile, hoping that might help a little. Papyrus’ hands seemed to clenched harder, and now some marrow was already seeping out of it.

 

“I-I don’t, I-I wasn’t good. I-I’m useless. I don’t deserve to even live with you.” He shook his head in denial, refusing to accept what Sans was saying.

 

Sans sighed while he took both of his hands into his own, at which Papyrus tried to tug them away from his hold, but appeared to decide against it. He opened the clamped hands, seeing the pricks that the marrow oozed out of.

 

“No, you’re not.” He placed both his hands on Papyrus’, slowly starting to heal him. He wasn’t the best with healing magic, but he had a decent understanding and practice in it to heal non-fatal wounds like this.

 

“B-but I am.” Only occasional hiccups and sniffles escaped his mouth, now having more controlled breathing.  

 

When Sans was done with his healing, he left one of his treated hands in his own, and set the other back in its place. He caressed the other skeleton’s cheek with his free hand, wiping away the tears that stained his face. He can’t stand Papyrus being so miserable like this.

 

“I’ll show you that you’re not. **I promise**.” Sans took him into another embrace, hugging him tighter than before. This caused Papyrus to yet again burst into tears, and Sans could see that he was apparently not too used to words of affection.

 

_That’s alright. He’ll find a way. He doesn't like keeping promises, but anything for his dear brother._

 

The two brothers stayed there for some time, sharing a comfortable silence before Papyrus had significantly calmed down. And even after that, they still lingered there for a little while, admiring the beautiful scenery that brought back many wonderful memories, neither wanting to leave this place.

 

This was their safe heaven, after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. "Home"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy frigg that's a lot of bookmarks...  
> But gosh thanks for all the Kudos and Bookmarks!  
> I apologize for the extended leave, it took me a while to get back to writing. 
> 
> So I hope I don't disappoint with this chapter, enjoy! ;v;
> 
> Thanks to @Nera-Core for beta reading, you're a life saver.

It was still dark when they reached the comfort of “their” home. Papyrus had insisted that they walked, and not wanting to upset his brother any further, he obliged to this—he needed the exercise anyways and it gave him a good look at Snowdin too. Barely anyone was outside, and those who were shuffled back into the darkness when they saw the two skeletons.

Sans switched on the lights, and immediately he noticed quite the difference between what he recalled of his home, and the house before him. It wasn’t as brightly lit—like the rest of the place, apparently.  Despite that, it still retained the welcoming atmosphere much like his own home, especially once he stepped into the living room. What seemed to be photos of him and his brother were framed and placed neatly in a glass cabinet, the smiles that were captured in them so vibrant, it was almost hard to believe that they were the same monster now.

The shorter skeleton heard a soft ‘click’, which he realised was the sound of the door being locked. He was about to question why that was even needed in such a friendly place like Snowdin, but then he remembered he _wasn’t_ in the Snowdin he knew.

“I’ll go make us some breakfast, is that okay Paps? Your lazy bro is gonna do you a favour for once and cook.” Sans turned to look at Papyrus, still standing rigidly at the door. Usually, he would have been in the kitchen by now, pots and pans clanking together as he enthusiastically prepared spaghetti. However, Papyrus seemed reluctant about it, no doubt being accustomed the one who cooks but ultimately nodded.

“I-If M’lord would like to?” Sans could tell that he was forcing a smile for him, like one wrong move, and everything would come crashing down. He was still happy that Papyrus was much more relaxed than he had been initially, despite still keeping his stuttering. The fear that he had seen on his face in most instances were gone, which was what he’d hoped for. Things weren’t going the best, but it wasn’t too bad either.

At least he has Papyrus back.

Sans sighed in relief. Everything was getting back on track, at least as well as it could. His brother followed him into the kitchen, watching him intently while he gathered some ingredients to make the only thing he knew how to make—a quiche

 “Alright, uh… now to make the thing…” Sans stared at the ingredients laid on the counter for a while, trying to remember the last time he cooked and how he even managed to do it.

“Y-you put the salt and flour in first.” Papyrus murmured softly, tugging at his jacket uncomfortably. The shorter skeleton smiled, happy that his brother decided to help him out.

“Thanks bro, you’re a life saver.” A playful wink was thrown at his brother, and Sans could see the instant effects of it as Papyrus’ cheekbones dusted orange, stammering out a “Your Welcome” before averting his gaze back to the ground. He had to admit, Papyrus looked adorable when he was shy and flustered—something he didn’t see a lot when the younger was always so enthusiastic and open all the time.  


After doing as he was told, Sans was once again at a standstill on what to do, mind blank at the moment, unfortunately. It was hard to concentrate when everything he knew had been replaced by another reality.  Now that he thought of it, maybe he should just ask Papyrus for his help. The last time he made it, things didn’t turn out… very good. As the older brother, Sans wanted to give his baby brother a break for once but cooking just simply wasn’t his strong suit.

“Hey bro, would you mind helping me? I think you’re _butter_ than me in this.” Sans was prepared for the howls of irritation and wide grin that usually resulted from the pun he just made, but none came. Instead, a small, grateful smile appeared on Papyrus’ face, eye lights flickering with hidden excitement like he had just finally caught a human.  


“R-really M’lord? I-I would love to!” The grin on his face only grew wider, shuffling eagerly to Sans’ side, both hands on the counter. Papyrus looked so much happier; he should have done this earlier. It would do them both good, seeing that Sans wouldn’t have to fumble with the ingredients any longer and Papyrus would be more than happy to help him out with it. The smaller skeleton placed the bowl in the middle and moved aside so that the taller would have a more comfortable working space, certain that his brother would be the one doing most of the actual work.

“What’s next?” he asked. He knew what to do, the change of mood having kickstarted his mind, but he wanted to see the joy on Papyrus’ face again and the bashful look he got whenever Sans said a simple thank you. 

“You p-put the tomato sauce in…” Following the instruction, Sans picked up the bottle of sauce and tried to open it with all his might, twisting and turning.  
  
“Damn, this bottle sure is persistent.” He let out a chuckle, and maybe it was bad luck, maybe it was just him being stupid, but all of a sudden the lid slid right off, splattering the red paste onto his nightshirt. 

“… ah geez, sorry for uhm… making a mess.” A sigh escaped him as he tried to clean it up, Papyrus scrambling to help him out, a frantic look on his face.  
  
“Y-you should go and wash up instead, I- I can handle cooking.” The taller skeleton suggested, and it sounded like quite a good idea right now. He _had_ just come back from a nerve-racking experience, and despite having spent some time with his brother, he still needed time to adjust and take in all the new information. The least he deserved was a nice hot shower.

Raising his arms up in defeat, Sans backed away from the counter and gave Papyrus a nudge on the shoulder. “I knew I could count on you, bro.” At the corner of his eye sockets, he could see Papyrus flinch at first, followed by a faint blush. The older brother stifled a small laugh before making his way up the stairs, noting that the railing of the stairs had intricate designs carved into it.

His bedroom door opened with a soft creak, and the waft of air that followed sent shivers down his spine. Now that he had a better look at his room, it was obvious that _this Sans_ was a neat freak just like his own brother.

The blue bed was exactly where it was, along with the shelves of books. An old looking star chart put up on the wall right in front of a desk. The odd looking toys he saw before were actually action figures, and they were incredibly detailed, down to every crease of fabric even. He had to admit, they did look pretty cool, and one was wielding a well-crafted Gaster blaster blade. The whole room actually felt very warm and cosy, unlike the rest of the town—barren and cold. A glint of something caught his eye before he got the chance to check the closet for some clothes, the flickering coming from the desk. He paced across the soft blue carpet to the source, a key laying neatly on a leather bound book.

Sans picked up the key—which seemed to be a necklace of some sort—and examined it. This wasn’t the kind that was just for display, this was an actual key that unlocks… something. Maybe it might be the one to his workshop, he wasn’t sure. Deciding that it’d be important for later, he put it on, the ornament dangling from its chain as he moved.

Next, he took the book in his hands, flipping rapidly through its pages until he came to a stop on a random one. It wasn’t a surprise when the writing on it was in an orderly matter. Sans started to read through it, and a particular passage caught his attention:

**_I don’t want to be Captain of the Royal Guard, even if it’s only temporarily. No one else in the whole underground but me is suited and trusted for the job, though. I told the mutt not to go on that dangerous mission, but he didn’t listen. I’m just glad he’s alive. I don’t think I can ever forgive myself for letting him get so hurt. For Papyrus’ sake… and Alphys’, I’ll carry out this responsibility._ **

Even more questions were running through his mind as he stared blankly at the page. First of all, what exactly happened on the mission where Papyrus barely got out alive? Why did he even go in the first place? Was Papyrus a former member of the Royal Guard as well? Most importantly, why did he call his brother a “mutt”? Is that the reason why Papyrus was so afraid of him? Because this Sans treated him like a literal dog? His felt his non-existent gut lurch at the thought of it.

He’d figure out all of it later, for now, he needed a nice hot shower and some time to just _relax._ Soon enough, he got the hot shower running, and the soothing warmth of the water coupled with the rising steam did help him release some of the tension. Closing his eyes, he tried his best to think of the good side of things. Papyrus is back, and he’s alive! That should be good enough.

Wrapped up in a towel, Sans paced back to his supposed room, opening the closet to find what he assumed to be his guard uniform hanging from the rails. He opened a drawer, and there he found an ill-fitting dress shirt and slacks to wear. It wasn’t his preferred type of clothing—he usually would just put on a sweater and his blue hoodie that he wore everywhere—but this was the most comfortable thing Sans could find, so he would just have to make do with it.

The small skeleton took a look at himself in the small mirror he found previously. He actually didn’t look half bad for once, though a bit too smartly dressed for his taste, like some human office worker doing a boring desk job. Sans did his best to shake off the memory of him working in the labs.

The golden key was the most eye-catching thing in his current attire, glinting still in the dim light. Deciding that this was as good as it’s gonna get, he went downstairs to check if Papyrus was done yet.

Papyrus was a fast cook. Already he had the quiche prepared and served on the table, along with coffee. Strangely, there was only a portion’s worth of food. Had Papyrus eaten while he was showering? He might have been in there a little longer than he thought.

“Wow Paps, it smells heavenly.” He turned to his brother, whose expression was something between disbelief and shock, the orange orbs focused on the key that hung around his neck.

“Y-you’re w-wearing it again?” Papyrus stammered out, looking on the verge of tears.

“Yeah, it looks important.” Sans avoided asking him what it might be for, having just got around consoling him—it might bring up some memories, so it was best saved for when the other was more emotionally stable.  
  
“I-I...M-M’lord t-thank you so much… I-I love you.” Sans barely caught the last part of his sentence. Papyrus said it all the time to him… but this was somehow…different. The way Papyrus’ face just lit up was definitely worth it though, now beaming at him with tears at the edge of his eye sockets. He was glad that the tears were more from happiness than anything—even though what he did wasn’t much, it obviously mattered a lot to Papyrus.

“Heh, love you too, bro. Now let me taste your wonderful cooking.”  A little silent squeak could be heard when Sans replied, and a glance proved him to be right as Papyrus’ cheeks were flushed a deep orange already. The older brother sat down and took a bite, delightful flavours bursting in his mouth. Papyrus had gotten better at cooking, and it definitely showed.

 “Papyrus, this is really good! Just, whoa, you got so good at this.” He promptly scarfed down the meal, realising he was hungrier than he thought. At his side, Papyrus’ smile extended, trying to blink back the tears of joy upon hearing it.  
  
“R-really? T-thank you! I-I’m glad I can be useful!” His expression was nothing but pure happiness, which brought a smile to his face while he continued eating. During the whole time, Papyrus simply watched him devour his plate. That got him wondering, had Papyrus waited until Sans finished out of courtesy?

“Hey Paps, you eaten yet?” was the automatic question that came out from his mouth. The smile on Papyrus’ face immediately vanished when it was mention, the other skeleton unsure how to answer.

“Didn’t you say I couldn’t have breakfast, M’lord?” the features of his face were scrunched together, surprised at the fact that he was even _allowed_ the privilege of a breakfast. Sans was about to voice his views on how ridiculous the way this Sans treated him when a loud ringtone played, the music coming from above. Sans honestly wanted to complain about his terrible taste of music, but all he listened to was techno, so he couldn’t really judge.

“I-It must be Alphys, s-she’s been looking for you for the past few days.” Papyrus was back to his timid stature, of which he hated, but that’d come later. Giving a brief nod of understanding, he teleported to his room, half expecting to wake up tucked in his bed as an alarm he didn’t have rang. But alas, that wasn’t the case. Apparently, it was his phone ringing, something he disregarded completely then. The contact that was ringing him was indeed Alphys, just like Papyrus said.

Sans hesitated before answering, and he had a very good reason to—a loud booming voice came from the other side of the receiver, nearly making him drop the phone.  
  
“Sans! Where the fuck are you!? It’s fucking chaos here without you, and I can barely manage!” This was definitely not the Alphys he knew, shy and bashful, whereas this monster had the personality of Undyne—Loud and aggressive.

Remembering that he was the Captain of the Royal Guard, Sans assumed that she was her Lieutenant of some sort then. Now he had to try and play the part, and acting, fortunately, was in his department.

“ Yes, well uh, here’s the thing Alphys, I’m on a sick leave—been down with something very severe. I hope you don’t mind taking a little longer to recover.” Sans hoped this was convincing enough, and the grumble from the other side of the phone proved him to be right.  
  
“…Fine, but only for a day! Seriously, we need you back her ASAP, the Queen is going fucking nuts without you, and I do not want to deal wit—HEY, GET BACK HERE YOU RUNT!” The phone line went immediately dead right after that, Sans standing frozen with the phone in his grasp. He felt his arms went limp as he placed the phone back on the desk. What in the world was going on? Nothing was making much sense to him, and the little that did wasn’t helping him feel better about his current situation. Sighing heavily, he dragged himself to the door, again hoping that some miracle would happen and the door would lead him back to his own reality.

Instead, he was greeted with the sight of a concerned Papyrus, hands wringing nervously.

“M-m’lord? Is something the matter?” Papyrus must have overheard their conversation, tone anxious as he spoke. Sans took a glance at him again—confused, worried, and all because of him. Another sigh escaped his mouth, he knew that they needed to talk sooner or later, and apparently that time was now.

_“We need to talk.”_

Leading his brother to the living room, he sat on the sofa, of which the other remained standing. Sans gave the seat beside him a pat to offer him a seat, but Papyrus shook his head.  
  
“Disobedient Pets aren’t allowed on the furniture.” At this point, Sans was sure that if he was to meet this counterpart of his, he would straight out murder the guy without any remorse. But now was not the time to worry about that—he needed to talk to him, and that’s what he was gonna do.

“Just sit. It’s fine.” Sans wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking or just pure desperation, but he wanted to at least _understand._

 


End file.
